People volunteer for a plethora of reasons: to give back to their communities, to impress college admissions boards, to gain a sense of purpose, to meet new people.
According to a new report from the Corporation for National and Community Service, 62.6 million adults volunteered through an organization last year and gave $184 billion worth of service.
The research shows that Gen Xers lead in volunteering, followed by Baby Boomers, who tend to volunteer more hours. One in five millennials volunteered last year, and young adults attending college volunteered at twice the rate of their peers who did not attend school. The demographic with the highest volunteering rate continued to be working mothers.
But overall, the U.S. saw a dip in the rate of volunteering from 2014, reflecting a larger drop in volunteering rates over the last decade.
We want to hear from you. Where do you volunteer? Do you do it during the holidays, or all year round? What motivates you to volunteer?
Guest:
Bill Basl, Director of AmeriCorps - Corporation for National and Community Service